Salem Under $300K — With a View!

Salem is a city on hold real-estate-wise, but I still believe in it. If I owned property there that I bought 5 years ago, I’d be frustrated and bummed out. But if I were a hub dweller wishing for a cheap, cool place to live within T range of downtown, I’d look at this slump as some sort of divine gift.

Imagine if you grabbed a piece of Cambridge in the days of rent control, or a house in The Haight when it was all crash pads and hippies. Salem might not ever be Haight Ashbury, but it has something that cities positioned to boom often have: a large population of artsy types and intellectuals, and prices low enough to attract the get-a-haircut crowd. More and more of Salem is young and up-and-coming, and the city has a lot to offer. Not the least of all, places with water views for less than you’d imagine. They’re often urban, partially obstructed views, but that doesn’t mean you won’t love watching the snow fall or the sun set from these purty windows.

27 Lemon is so, so close to the commuter rail — what you’re looking at in the pictures is the bike/walking path to the Salem Commuter Rail depot.

27 Lemon Street
Salem, MA 01970
Beds: 3/Baths: 2
SQ.FT.: 1398
$229,900

Even Derby Wharf is feeling the bite of a bad market; this is too cheap for that neighborhood, and I don’t expect it to last:

39 Daniels Street
Salem, MA 01970
Beds: 2/Baths: 2
SQ.FT.: 1120
$299,000

This barely a water view, but it’s a great place for an artist or small businessperson — a live/work space under $200k with no condo fees! The square footage is only the living area, not the shop space on the first floor.

19 Bridge Street
Salem, MA 01970
Beds: 1/Baths: 1.5
SQ.FT.: 672
$199,000

Photo (of the ship “Friendship” permanently anchored at Derby Wharf) courtesy of Jenn Marcelais and A Very Grave Matter, a site dedicated to the beauty and history of New England graveyards.

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